The Alchemist
by halfpipez
Summary: Ryo Bakura is an asset, a danger, and a mystery. However, he'll tell you that he's merely a humble citizen trying to make a living by selling his wares in the marketplace, and that there's nothing special about him at all.
1. Prologue

Ryo wasn't an ordinary vendor who sold ordinary items. He didn't consider himself an extraordinary vendor in any way, nor did he boast of his vials, rant about his crystals, or rave about his amulets. Indeed, he was a very bashful vendor.

Unlike the others, who bargained deal upon deal every day, trying to sell at high quantity and not high quality, Ryo Bakura sat behind his stall, waiting patiently. He would sit and sit and sit, watching as people glanced over his table. One or two people would ask him about his wares, but they were the ones who looked with polite interest and never bought.

Nobody was interested in alchemy.

However, one day, as Ryo was setting up his humble little stall, a boy with white hair just as his own ran past. Two guards chased after him, but he disappeared easily into the crowds of chattering villagers and shouting merchants.

The guards stopped in front of his tiny stall, looking around frantically for the boy. A moment later, they spotted Ryo's small and hunched figure as he was straightening out the strings on his various luck amulets, and immediately stomped over.

"I don't think that's him," the first guard said dubiously.

"Well who else do you know who has long white hair?" the other proclaimed.

"He couldn't have ducked in there and changed so fast," the former reasoned.

The second guard ignored the first and leered at Ryo, who chose to ignore their presence in favour of laying out his crystals on their individual accompanying cloths. It wasn't very long before the guard's fist slammed on the table, making Ryo's carefully done layout disappear into a mess of glittering stones and tangled string.

"Hey, thief," the guard said gruffly.

Ryo watched him with a calm interest and shook his head. "No, I'm not a thief," he said softly. "I'm an alchemist."

The first guard's brow raised in surprise and realization. He tried to step in but the second pushed him back.

"Thieves are known to be liars, but alchemists? No way. I'm taking you back to the palace to be tried in front of the council, scumbag."

"I'm afraid you can't do that," Ryo told him, his voice never rising above a murmur.

"And why not?" The guard reached to grab his wrist but the first caught him.

"This man is Ryo, you fool!" he interrupted. "Ryo Bakura, the man who shares his name with that petty thief, and the one High Priest Seth told us not to trouble," He hissed.

Ryo nodded when the former looked at him for confirmation. "Yes, that's right. However, there is one small detail you're missing."

The second guard folded his burly arms across his chest and frowned. "And what might that be, runt?"

"Bakura isn't just a petty thief."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Something I've been working on for a while now, a little AU I cooked up with Ryo as an Alchemist in Ancient Egypt. Unlike a lot of my other multi-chapter stories, I plan to finish this because I've already gotten a lot of it typed up and I know where it's going :)_

_Hopefully you guys enjoyed the prologue enough to stay with me on this project?_

_Review if you wish!**  
**_


	2. Chapter One

After packing up his wares and closing his stall for the day, Ryo made his way down the main road to the palace. It was, of course, unusual for a peasant even of a higher profession to be called to speak in front of the Council, but after the two guards had a word with the High Priest Seth, it became a necessity.

It was still early in the afternoon, but Ryo didn't mind missing a day of slow business in order to appease the Pharaoh. In fact, Ryo wasn't all that worried about making any gold, and accepted the meeting's terms with a small smile.

Some of the villagers stared at him openly as he adjusted the linen bag on his shoulder, but he ignored them. Having white hair wasn't exactly a common sight, but neither was being an alchemist. Even though he didn't like the stares, he had come to take them without blushing from the attention

"Right this way, Alchemist Ryo Bakura," the calmer of the two guards from before bowed and led the way inside the palace. Ryo had learned earlier that his name was Tahir. The impulsive and aggressive one was his older brother, Mazin.

The hallways that led to the throne room were decorated with carvings of the Ka's of the previous Pharaohs. Ryo took little interest in them and instead stared at the lush carpeting that lined the corridors. He wondered how long the meeting with the Pharaoh and his Council would be, and decided that if it wasn't too long he'd ask if they had an alchemist at the palace. If they didn't, it could be a potential job opportunity, and Ra knew he needed one.

"High Priest Seth said that the meeting will only consist of four people, five including you, Alchemist Ryo," Tahir explained.

Ryo listened with one ear and shifted the bag on his shoulder. High Priest Seth had been interfering in his life for the past year now, so he was used to this; Guards mistaking him for someone and realizing he was the white-haired mystery whom Seth had made a VIP in the world of peasant-protection.

"You're here, good," Seth said briskly as Ryo came into view. Only moments before, he had been pacing furiously outside the doors to the throne room.

"You wanted to see me?" Ryo asked, letting himself be led into the heavily decorated throne room.

"Yes, thank you for coming, Ryo Bakura."

The Pharaoh sat like a marble statue on his throne. Seth went to stand at his side, just as stiffly.

"Anything to please the Pharaoh of Egypt, my king," Ryo said, as was expected of him, bowing before him.

"I would start with small talk, but we unfortunately have no time for niceties today," he started, his powerful voice filling the room. "Bakura, the thief, has taken something of the utmost value from the palace."

"That can't be good. Do you know what he took?" Ryo asked.

"Well, there is a room here in the palace that has many trinkets and other items of value, but according to the guards stationed there, nothing is missing," the Pharaoh said, shaking his head. "But we know for a fact that it was something from that room."

"He could have replaced it with a counterfeit item," Ryo told him, a hand on his chin as he thought. "Have you an inventory of things kept in that room? Or do you just know how many things are supposed to be in there?"

"High Priest Mahaad would know, as he is normally in charge of any palace protection measures."

"Alright then, I'll talk to him. I'm sure we can retrieve this valuable item before long."

"I knew I could count on you to help. Thank you for your continued assistance, Ryo."

"It's my pleasure." Ryo bowed again before he was escorted out of the room by Priest Seth.

After the ornate doors shut behind them, Seth turned to him, a faraway look in his eyes. "You..." he began. However, he seemed to think better of himself, for his next words were brisk and his eyes returned to their normally sharper gaze. "I'll show you to the treasury. Mahaad is already there with his guards."

:::

"Mahaad has some theories on what Bakura stole from us, but there are no guarantees that his guesses are right," Seth told him as they neared the treasury.

Mahaad was talking to his subordinates, a grimace on his face as he mentally crossed another item off his list of possibilities. Bakura had certainly caused quite a stir in their peaceful palace life.

When Ryo entered the room, all he could see was gold and jewels. He frowned. If that was all this room was, Bakura couldn't have taken anything that would have an effect on the palace.

"It's a thief's goldmine. Literally," Mahaad told him, having finished his discussion with the guards. "Although don't let that fool you. There are other things in here that are actually important. Some have magic embedded inside them, and that's how we started the tracking progress."

"How is that going?"

"Not well."

"I assume that's where I come in?"

"Apparently so." Mahaad folded his arms across his chest, nodding to himself. "Seth said you're that famous alchemist, right? Well, I'm a famous magician. I think we should be able to solve this quite easily with our combined minds."

"Certainly," Ryo agreed, kneeling down to rummage through his bag. "And I think I have something that can help."

He took a small amulet out of the linen bag, placing it carefully on the dusty floor. Touching his middle and index fingers to his forehead, he whispered something incoherent and then pressed the amulet.

A swift wind blew through the room from the amulet. A few items glowed an ethereal blue shade. When Ryo stood back up, he looked around the room with renewed interest.

"If Bakura stole something, it would've been of major value," Ryo said thoughtfully. "Something potentially useful. Possibly something that we wouldn't have given a second glance. And the replacement would have lacked the magic embedded inside."

His indexed finger twitched and one of the closer glowing items slowly floated over. "Like this for example. Unorthodox, yes. But we would underestimate its value while he would boast of it."

The crystal dagger sparkled as Ryo took it into his hands. The handle was slightly curved, with engravings running down it in a spiral.

"Do you know what the text says?"

Mahaad took a step forward, eyeing the the dagger with a renewed interest. "It's... Gibberish...?"

"Then he probably took this."

"How are you sure?" Mahaad asked, giving the pale man in front of him a strange look.

He only shrugged in response, gripping the dagger's handle. "Do you see any magic power emanating from it?"

Mahaad shook his head. "None."

"And the text is indeed only gibberish," Ryo confirmed after taking a closer look. "If it were the real one, the surface would shine brighter, there would be an inscription, magic power would be emitted when used, and the blade would most likely be sharper," he explained, running the pad of his thumb along the harmless metal.

A moment passed in which Mahaad took the time to digest the information, and Ryo gave him a small smile.

"Now that you know how to spot them, you should be able to find the rest of the items he took," he said, starting to leave.

Mahaad grimaced. "So he did take more..."

"Most likely. Anyway, I should probably go before I get in your way. Thank you very much for the opportunity to meet you, though the circumstances were regrettably not the best..."

When the door shut behind him, Mahaad sighed. The fabled alchemist was right. They would just have to start the search process over again. But this time, they'd do it by hand.

* * *

**Author's Note: I was going to add more to this scene, but I decided against it because it's not necessarily the focus of the story.**

**You'll find out what it is next chapter :)  
**


	3. Chapter Two

_It's been a while since I updated this! Like, a really long while... sorry guys!_

* * *

Seth had been waiting at the door for a mere ten minutes when Ryo left. Falling into step behind him, he asked if the search was going well.

"It will now."

Seth had always been impressed by the strange boy, usually forgetting that he was still in his teens. It was hard to remember that he was at least five years younger than him. It was still hard believing that he was three years the Prince's senior. Seth always had to remember his age in his associate's ranks, but they were all so much more knowledgeable than he was.

It was easy to be impressed when you were the newest addition to the Council.

When they came to the next corridor, Ryo paused. "So, which way is the entrance?"

Seth hid a smile of amusement. Even the great got lost on occasion. "I'll take you there, since there isn't any business to attend to today," he said, taking the lead.

"Thank you."

"I assume you won't be assisting with the rest of the investigation?"

"No. I have given Mahaad the know-how, now the court just has to wait patiently."

Soon enough they were at the entrance to the palace, and they parted with polite waves.

Ryo adjusted his linen bag on his shoulder before setting off into the village, deciding to take the rest of the day off.

:-:

"He's smart, you know," Mahaad commented lightly when Seth entered the room. He was kneeling on the floor, holding up his Millennium Ring to scope out magic-embedded items.

"You think I don't know that?" Seth responded coolly. "How's progress? Find anything other than that dagger?" He looked around as the guards ran around, separating the items into two sections.

"Not yet, no."

Seth scoffed. "I might as well pay him myself. Your free labour is useless."

"You don't have to be so impatient," Mahaad said, examining another gold item. After shaking his head, he handed it to a guard who went to place it in a pile.

"Well time is being wasted. Bakura needs to be locked up now, not in ten years. And you call yourself 'Palace Security...'"

:-:

Ryo spent many days roaming the market and sitting patiently in his stall, receiving suspicious glances and odd looks. Today was no different, especially because of the rumours. The villagers knew full well what had happened at the palace only days ago, and they were all on the lookout for white-haired men. However, Ryo was the only one for miles unless they could find a particular thief.

"They cost, you know," one vendor told him when he picked up a fruit.

"You're certainly on guard." It was a simple comment, but it gained a defensive reaction. Ryo smiled again and handed him some coin. "Don't tell me you changed the price since yesterday?"

A gruff sound and shake of the head was the vendor's response.

"Good, I'll be on my way." Ryo took a bite out of the fruit and walked toward the next stall. His day was only just beginning.

Near sunset, Ryo decided to return to his quarters. He was graciously living under the care of one of the palace's servants. Thanks to Priest Seth, Ryo had a proper apartment all to himself. It was near the entrance to the palace, and it was extremely comfortable, outfitted with older furniture that people living in the palace no longer wanted or needed. Even though Ryo had originally thought that they might be keeping tabs on him because of his alchemy, he soon came to know these accommodations as generosities from Priest Seth. He had no qualms about the arrangements, and never questioned the High Priest's intentions.

However, before he could open the door, Ryo felt a hand fall on his shoulder.

"How may I help you?" His hand was still firmly on the doorknob. Ryo didn't need to look to see who it was.

"What did you tell them?" The line was uttered with only the slightest hint of worry tainting the gruff voice.

"You're not just a petty thief," Ryo answered simply, entering his apartment and shutting the door behind him.

:-:

Another day, another batch of polite customers. Ryo didn't mind that no one ever spent money on his wares, as times were tough and there were more important things. After all, he didn't need the money because his accommodations were already sorted out thanks to the kind Priest Seth, and he had no expenses other than food and clothing, and he had plenty of that too.

It was high noon when a little girl skipped up to his stall and started admiring the sparkling semi-precious stones. He smiled at her when her curious eyes snapped upwards.

"That one is said to bring good luck," he offered.

"And what about this one?" she asked, her voice just as clear and curious as her round eyes. She pointed to a jewel-encrusted amulet.

"Wealth," he said.

"Why does magic only help with material things?"

The girl looked no older than ten, but she seemed to know a lot about the world. Ryo smiled, eyes twinkling.

"What's your name?"

"I asked first!" she said, pouting.

"Well," he thought for a moment. "I guess people like to rely on magic rather than their own talent or knowledge to bring them things."

Her face scrunched up, digesting this new information. Suddenly, she stuck out her small hand. "My name is Haqikah."

"And mine is Ryo."

Her eyes dropped down to the crystals, all held in small vials with wax-sealed stoppers.

"Which one is your favourite?"

"I like that purple one," she said, pointing at one of the vials. "What does that one do?"

"It's called an amethyst, and it gives the holder peace of mind."

Her eyes lit up at that. "How much?"

"Quite a few gold coins. For you? Nothing. Take it, Haqikah."

She frowned and shook her head. "No, I'm gonna save up for it and buy it!"

"Why do that when I'm offering it free of charge?" he asked.

"Because you're here to make money and it isn't fair if I take it."

Ryo smiled and nodded. "You're very wise, Haqikah. I hope to see you soon so that I can give this to you."

She gave him a wide smile of her own, thanked him, and skipped off into the crowded market.

"You know, she's from a poor family."

Ryo looked over to see a cloaked figure leaning against the stall's post. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed by the way she was talking."

"Well, she is," he said bitterly. "I sold a few of the extra items I took so that I could pay for their rent and food this month."

"Should I tell High Priest Seth about their family? He could probably do things a little more legally."

"Don't bother. They couldn't care less."

"They probably would. What about High Priestess Isis? I'm sure she'd sympathize."

"Don't bother," he snarled. "You've tried before and they hardly batted an eyelash. Let me handle them, they're my responsibility."

"You don't have to do everything alone. I have connections good enough to get you the things you need without resorting to thievery," Ryo offered. "I know you don't think much of alchemy, and it may not be a high-paying job, but I -"

"Please, Ryo."

A flash of his covered eyes told Ryo all he needed to know. "Alright, but I'm still here."

"Like I'd forget about you..."

Ryo chuckled. "Alright, now go back to taking care of Haqikah. I'm sure her family appreciates it."

"They'd better."


End file.
